News from the Reference Desk Category: Environment

Mount Prospect has replaced their existing yard waste collection program with a new Organics Collection Program. Yard waste will still be accepted along with organic material including fruits, vegetables, meat etc. All yard waste and organic material will be collected in unlimited quantities for no additional charge, but residents must provide their own rigid container. The Organics Collection Program will run from April through mid-December.

Friday, April 28 is Arbor Day and a great reminder that trees are one of our community’s most vital natural resources. The Arbor Day Foundation provides a wealth of useful information about the importance of trees in our environment and tools to help homeowners choose the best trees for their yard and location. The Arbor Day Foundation also sells trees relatively inexpensively: “the purchases you make through the Arbor Day Foundation will help support important tree planting efforts around the globe.” They make it very easy to choose appropriate trees for your conditions: just enter your zip code and a list of dozens of trees suitable for your climate will appear. Prices range from $5.00 for one tree to $45.00 for a collection of 5. Spring is the best time to plant trees before the summer heat: celebrate Arbor Day this year and plant a tree!

The record warm August continued a streak of 11 consecutive months dating back to October 2015 that have set new monthly high-temperature records. —NASA Analysis

During the opening weeks of the 71st United Nations General Assembly, the Paris Agreement on climate change has been a prominent issue and U.N. members have been strongly encouraged to sign on to the accord.

As of September 21, 2016:

…60 countries representing 48 percent of global planet-warming emissions have now legally bound themselves to the Paris accord. The deal goes into legal force when at least 55 countries representing 55 percent of global emissions sign on. At Wednesday’s ceremony, leaders of countries representing at least an additional 12 percent of global emissions pledged to submit their legal documents by the end of this year. If they follow through, the pact will take effect.
—Paris Climate Deal Passes Milestone as 20 More Nations Sign On, New York Times

The U.S. Department of Energy has a site for fuel economy information which many drivers may find helpful in saving money, finding the right car, and checking EPA ratings. Please take a look at www.fueleconomy.gov.

The Mount Prospect Village Board contracted the engineering firm Burns & McDonnell to examine the cause of flooding that occurred throughout the Village on July 23, 2011. According to the Village website: “The scope of Burns & McDonnell’s work included examining the condition and capacity of the Village’s existing sewer system as well as analyzing flood surveys and home inspections conducted by the Public Works Department.”

Harper College has started an Alternative Electrical Energy Certificate. The College’s solar energy course – a first step toward the new Alternative Electrical Energy Certificate – drew 16 students for the fall term. Launched by a $63,000 Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation grant, which helped with the purchase of new lab equipment, Harper added a wind energy course to the curriculum this spring. The entire Alternative Energy Certificate program, geared to those already in the industrial electronics industry and those just starting out, requires credits in solar and wind energy and a variety of other electronics courses.

The Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) and its member communities are offering a Holiday Light Recycling Program, free of charge. Please take a look at the convenient locations listed at http://www.swancc.org/recycling/holidaylights.html.